A late final sitting in the Senate for the year has seen more than 30 bills pass the upper house, including controversial migration laws that allow the government to pay third countries to take non-citizens and ban travellers from specified countries.
Senators sat until almost 11.30pm on Thursday after the Albanese government struck an earlier deal with the Greens and the opposition to pass 31 bills, in addition to a social media ban on under-16s debated from 10pm.
After an hour delay due to Simon Birmingham’s surprise retirement, the guillotined debate began at 6.30pm with a number of mostly uncontroversial bills passing with no amendments.
Anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism laws extending reporting obligations of suspicious transactions to lawyers, accountants and real estate agents passed first with minor amendments, kickstarting the marathon sitting.
Labor’s build-to-rent bill, which gives incentives to investors to build properties for renting, also passed the Senate, handing the government another housing win.
Australia’s $23bn answer to the US’s Inflation Reduction Act, Future Made in Australia, also passed, enabling $13.7bn in tax incentives for green hydrogen and processed critical minerals.
On Wednesday, the Greens struck a deal with the government to ensure the program could not support coal, oil and gas projects.
Doxing laws, which carry a maximum penalty of seven years in jail for targeting someone for their race, religion or sexuality, are also now law.
Three migration bills passed with Coalition support creating powers for the Australian government to pay third countries to receive non-citizens, criminal penalties for non-citizens who refuse to cooperate with their own deportation, and new powers to search for drugs and confiscate phones in detention.
Refugee and asylum seeker groups sent angered statements late into the evening, describing the bills as “racist” and “reminiscent of the White Australia policy”.
The Asylum Seeker Resource Centre said the messages the laws sent were “deplorable, political game-playing that causes devastating harm, and it is not the type of leadership the Australian public wants or voted for”.
But it was the social media ban on under-16s that fired up senators in an eleventh-hour debate.
The laws will not come into effect for another 12 months but some opposition and crossbench senators questioned how they would work and criticised how little time had been given to scrutinise them further.
The changes affect social media platforms including TikTok, Facebook, Snapchat, Instagram, X and message board Reddit but exclude some messaging apps, such as Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp.
It remains unclear how social media platforms will be able determine the age of users and if Australians will need to hand over identification details in order to access the sites. Labor senator Jenny MacAllister said the changes wouldn’t force Australians to use government ID.
Coalition senators, Matt Canavan and Alex Antic, voted against the laws, with Liberal senator Richard Colbeck choosing to speak against them.
The Greens senator, Sarah Hanson-Young, criticised the bill as a “sham”, which gave “oldies” a “false sense of security”.
“This is boomers trying to tell young people how the internet should work,” she said.
The Senate adjourned shortly before 11.30pm with Labor’s Katy Gallagher saying senators would return in February next year.
Bills passed on Thursday night
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Anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing amendment bill 2024
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Sydney airport demand management amendment bill 2024
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Aged care (consequential and transitional provisions) bill 2024
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Commonwealth entities (payment surcharges) bill 2024
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Commonwealth entities (payment surcharges) tax (imposition) bill 2024
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Commonwealth entities (payment surcharges) (consequential provisions and other matters) bill 2024
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Treasury laws amendment (responsible buy now pay later and other measures) bill 2024
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Capital works (build to rent misuse tax) bill 2024
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Crimes amendment (strengthening the criminal justice response to sexual violence) ill 2024
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Family law amendment bill 2024
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Future Made in Australia (guarantee of origin) bill 2024
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Future Made in Australia (guarantee of origin consequential amendments and transitional provisions) bill 2024
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Future Made in Australia (guarantee of origin charges) bill 2024
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Future Made in Australia bill 2024
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Future Made in Australia (omnibus amendments No. 1) bill 2024
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Universities accord (national student ombudsman) bill 2024
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Treasury laws amendment (fairer for families and farmers and other measures) Bill 2024
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Superannuation (objective) bill 2023
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Treasury laws amendment (Reserve Bank reforms) bill 2023
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Customs tariff amendment (incorporation of proposals and other measures) bill 2024
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Communications legislation amendment (regional broadcasting continuity) bill 2024
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Crown references amendment bill 2023
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Customs amendment (ASEAN-Australia-New Zealand free trade area second protocol implementation and other measures) bill 2024
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Midwife professional indemnity (Commonwealth contribution) scheme amendment bill 2024
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Treasury laws amendment (2024 tax and other measures No. 1) bill 2024
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Privacy and other legislation amendment bill 2024
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Surveillance legislation (confirmation of application) bill 2024
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Treasury laws amendment (mergers and acquisitions reform) bill 2024
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Migration amendment bill 2024
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Migration amendment (removal and other measures) bill 2024
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Migration amendment (prohibiting items in immigration detention facilities) bill 2024
