Parliament has been getting frosty as winter closes in – but Labor may make one more gamble before the break

Coalition sources say Angus Taylor will continue to call the government ‘liars’, sharpening the focus on Albanese personally. Photograph: Lukas Coch/AAP View image in fullscreen Coalition sources say Angus Taylor will continue to call the government ‘liars’, sharpening the focus on Albanese personally. Photograph: Lukas Coch/AAP Analysis Parliament has been getting frosty as winter closes in – but Labor may make one more gamble before the break Josh Butler As Labor pushes on with reforms, the Coalition must decide whether to join in the parliamentary deal-making Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast It’s the last week of parliament before the winter break, and not a minute too soon; tensions have been running a little high lately. The lower house speaker, Milton Dick, has been yeeting MPs mere moments into question time and accused Angus Taylor of “demeaning” the parliament by calling Anthony Albanese a liar; Andrew Hastie claimed One Nation “has declared war on me, so they shall have war”; Labor has been goading the Coalition and its media “cheer squad” for opposing the budget; the Greens hate Labor’s NDIS bill ; and people in the Coalition seem to be mad at everyone, including themselves . That’s all to say: there’s a bit still left in store for this last week, and the drama isn’t likely to ease. First, the pomp and ceremony: Vanuatu’s prime minister, Jotham Napat, and his delegation will visit Parliament House on Monday to meet Albanese. Wednesday brings the annual Midwinter Ball, the black-tie highlight of the parliamentary social calendar. Labor’s tax deal with the Greens is a crucial win – but its NDIS changes could pay the price Read more The off-record event’s traditionally light-hearted speeches from the prime minister and opposition leader have returned mixed recent results; Sussan Ley’s riotously funny address in 2025, joking about “negotiating with fundamentalists” in the Nationals, came after a few dour examples from Peter Dutton in previous years. But the last week before a big break is also traditionally a time for last-minute horse trading and long sitting hours . MPs and senators might be rushing out of the ball on Wednesday night, or huddling around tables, as votes and negotiations continue. Sign up for the Breaking News Australia email With the first tranche of Labor’s budget measures and tax legislation quickly ushered through parliament last week, focus now turns to the rest of their slate. Namely, the unpopular cuts to the national disability insurance scheme and what will come in the next instalment of tax rules, including the carveouts and mop-ups Labor has promised. The Coalition will continue to zero in on the unpopular aspects of Labor’s budget, including the so-called “widow’s tax”, and accusing the government of presiding over rising inflation and falling living standards. Coalition sources say Taylor will continue to call the government “liars”, sharpening the focus on Albanese personally. Lab