The Wire

The Government has a predilection for bundling up a lot of measures and presenting them to the Senate as an ‘Omnibus’ bill.  The one they have served up today includes the new childcare package, and a number of welfare cuts.

These are ‘zombie’ bills left over from the last budget that did not pass the senate prior to the double dissolution last year.  Cross-benchers from Nick Xenaphon to Pauline Hanson are not keen to pass the omnibus, and despite Simon Birmingham’s best efforts, the bus has pulled away from the bus stop and is hurtling down the road.  Its a road that former Senator Glenn Lazarus has been down, and he says they even tried to bung on a division at 9pm one night in the hope that opposed cross-benchers had gone home!