Labor has made the most of its cooperation with the Coalition

By David Speers

Topic:Government and Politics

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese didn't want the government's immigration changes to cause distractions. (ABC News: Matt Roberts)

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In the last term of parliament, Anthony Albanese would often delight in calling Peter Dutton "Captain No", for being "against everything and for nothing".

It was a regular, if not entirely original, line of Labor attack. Before "Captain No" there was "Dr No", Tony Abbott.

But it will be hard for Labor to pin a similar badge on Angus Taylor after the bipartisanship on display this week.

The opposition leader has said "yes" multiple times after a series of meetings with the prime minister last week.

The opposition leader has said "yes" multiple times, after a series of meetings with the prime minister last week. (ABC News: Matt Roberts)

A display of cooperation

From gambling ads to the NDIS, forcing social media giants to pay for journalism and avoiding a so-called "Widow's Tax", the two sides of politics have demonstrated a rare degree of cooperation.

"We're not the party who says no to everything," noted the Liberals' Andrew Hastie on Radio National, in a nod to the old Dutton moniker. "We want to work constructively in the national interest."

Hastie is on the frontline of the Liberal Party's fight with One Nation, and it is impossible to ignore this backdrop.

This week has been an opportunity for the Coalition to differentiate itself from Pauline Hanson. It is demonstrating its credentials as a sensible party of government, rather than a party of protest.

There were other motivations too, on both sides, for all this deal-making.

For the Coalition, gambling advertising had become a point of internal division between anti-regulation libertarians on one side and those who wanted much tighter restrictions on the other, including three who ultimately crossed the floor to vote against the bill.

"This is an emotional issue," observed Taylor, who was "very pleased" to see the long-running debate put to bed.

Labor faced its own internal pushback too, even if none were willing to risk being expelled from the party for crossing the floor under party rules.

The bipartisan deal involves a new, complex set of rules on gambling advertising, and many operational and technical details still to be worked out.

Advocates who wanted a complete ban have been left bitterly disappointed, but both leaders are betting the pressure will ease with a bill now passed.

Taylor protects fiscal credibility

On the NDIS, the disability sector is equally disappointed with the outcome, but the Coalition's eventual support for Labor's changes was never in serious doubt.

With the cost of the scheme still growing at more than 10 per cent annually, Taylor's fiscal credibility would have been shot if he'd delayed much longer.

Political risks for Labor still lie ahead as these changes are put in place, stories emerge of people with a disability being removed from the NDIS or having their supports cut.

NDIS Minister Mark Butler concedes there's still a "tonne of work" to do in setting up alternative supports.

States and territories are hardly sounding confident these supports will be there on time. The concerns being expressed by families are understandable.

The controversial changes to the NDIS have passed the Senate after Labor struck a deal with the Coalition, tabling 63 amendments to the reforms.

Given the political sensitivities and potential landmines, this bipartisan deal on the NDIS was arguably the most significant of the week.

It gives the government political cover for what lies ahead, underpins any hope of budget repair, and aims to maintain community support for this transformative scheme.

For the prime minister, the aim was to do all these deals with the Coalition in one go. He wanted to ensure the decks were clear for this to be "Liberal deal week".

Albanese didn't want other issues, including the government's soon-to-be-announced immigration changes, causing distractions and demands for more cross-trading.

In the end, the biggest concession required from Labor to seal the deal wasn't much of a concession at all. It agreed to expedite something it had already agreed to do: passing a bill to avoid a "Widow's Tax" when someone loses a partner who was negatively gearing a property.

Labor has two pathways through the Senate. It framed the May budget with this in mind.

The Greens have already helped pass negative gearing and capital gains tax hikes. They will be called on again when it comes to legislating changes to trusts.

This was the week to get business done with the Coalition.

Nearing the midway point of this parliamentary term, the prospects of cooperation will only diminish as the next election draws closer.

Fights over immigration, superannuation, housing, tobacco excise, data centre rules, and all sorts of other issues will continue and intensify.

But this was a week for cooperation.

David Speers is national political lead and host of Insiders, which airs on ABC TV at 9am on Sunday or on iview.

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