23-05-2025
'Labor needs to be held to account': Anthony Albanese slammed after release of post-election parliamentary sitting calendar
Anthony Albanese has been criticised over his decision not to let parliament sit for another two months despite "serious questions" about government policy.
The Prime Minister on Thursday released the proposed parliamentary sitting calendar for the remainder of the year following his emphatic election victory on May 3.
He recommended to Governor-General Sam Mostyn that the 48th parliament be opened on July 22, two-and-a-half months after polling day.
There are only eight lower house sitting weeks planned for the second half of the year - two in July, one each in August and September and two each in October and November.
The House of Representatives only sat for three weeks before Mr Albanese called the election on March 28.
Teal Warringah MP Zali Steggall told Sky News Australia's Kenny Heatley that the total number of sitting weeks for 2025 was "a pretty low number".
Ms Steggall said there were "a lot of issues" which required scrutiny of the government, which was difficult to do outside parliamentary sitting weeks.
"I'm concerned that 22nd of July is a long time to be waiting to recall parliament," she said on Friday.
"We have the government going ahead with decisions that are really problematic.
"We have important decisions happening in Western Australia around the North West Gas Shelf extension which is very dangerous and bad.
"We have proposals to tax unrealised capital gains in superannuation. We have serious questions that require scrutiny of the government."
Nationals Senate leader Bridget McKenzie said the sitting calendar released by the Prime Minister was "very concerning".
"The Labor Party needs to be held to account. The tax on unrealised gains isn't just going to hurt people with self-managed super funds," Ms McKenzie told Heatley.
"It's going to have a critical impact particularly on family farms, who are going to be paying tax on properties that they can't sell because they're part of an intergenerational farming operation.
"There is a lot of concern about that as one policy area that the Labor Party has on the table, that if we're not coming back to the end of July to actually have that public scrutiny and debate, (it) really says a lot about accountability, transparency from Anthony Albanese and Jim Chalmers."
Mr Albanese said he was looking forward to pushing ahead with Labor's reforms it took to the election which resulted in it being returned with an increased majority.
"The government is humbled by the support of the Australian people," he said in a statement on Thursday.
"I look forward to advancing the government's legislative agenda over the coming parliamentary term.
"The reform program we took to the election was shaped by the priorities of the Australian people. We look forward to continuing the work of Building Australia's Future."
The release of the sitting calendar comes as the Liberal and National parties remain locked in crisis negotiations to repair a fractured Coalition.
