Politics Now Barnaby to defect and enviro laws to pass
Nov 27, 2025
Tom McIlroy, political editor at Guardian Australia, dives into recent political shifts, including a Labor-Greens deal on environmental laws amid lengthy negotiations. He discusses the motivations behind Labor's pragmatic partnership with the Greens and the removal of forestry exemptions. The episode also covers Barnaby Joyce's surprising defection to One Nation and the implications of Pauline Hanson's controversial stunts. McIlroy analyzes how these moves may influence voter sentiment and shift political dynamics ahead of upcoming budgets.
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Labor-Greens Deal Delivers Major EPBC Reform
- Labor struck a surprising deal with the Greens to pass the long‑awaited EPBC reforms, securing environmental standards and an EPA.
- The package removes long-standing forestry exemptions and introduces tougher penalties while streamlining approvals for major projects.
Native Forest Logging Put On Notice
- The Greens secured the removal of native forest logging exemptions, phased in over 18 months, and won a $300 million transition package.
- Larissa Waters framed this as a decisive step toward phasing out native forest logging in favour of plantations.
Coalition's Factional Split Kept It Out
- The Coalition effectively removed themselves from negotiations and could not present a unified alternative to join the deal.
- Internal factional splits left the Coalition disorganised and unable to deliver a competing agreement.