Watch FIFA World Cup 2026™

LIVE, FREE and EXCLUSIVE

Turnbull govt loses vote amid confusion

The Turnbull government has been forced to ask for a fresh vote on amendments to an uncontroversial bill after losing a vote in parliament.

Labor has pounced on an opportunity to embarrass the Turnbull government after it lost a vote on the floor of parliament.

A number of ministers, including Peter Dutton, Barnaby Joyce, Julie Bishop and Michael Keenan, missed a vote in the lower house on Labor amendments to uncontroversial changes to the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Act.

The amendments, which condemned the government over climate change, got up 69-61.

But Leader of the House Christopher Pyne asked the vote be retaken, claiming the bells for the division should have rung for four minutes instead of one.

It was subsequently defeated 74-69.

News that makes sense

Your trusted source for staying up-to-date with the world around you. Get free daily news updates and analysis, straight to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

Labor frontbencher Tony Burke used the bungle to criticise the coalition for "failing to protect the Great Barrier Reef".

He called on the government to "end the chaos and govern for the benefit of Australians".

"Do they really think this chaos is going to end while the deputy prime minister is still here?" he told parliament, referring to Barnaby Joyce's citizenship concerns.

The legislation, after much delay, eventually passed.


1 min read

Published

Source: AAP



Share this with family and friends


Get SBS News straight to your inbox

Sign up now for daily news from Australia and around the world. You can also subscribe to Insight's weekly newsletter for in-depth features and first-person stories.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

Follow SBS News

Download our apps

Listen to our podcasts

Get the latest with our News podcasts on your favourite podcast apps.

Watch on SBS

SBS World News

Take a global view with Australia's most comprehensive world news service

Stream now

Watch the latest news videos from Australia and across the world