The Albanese government has struck a deal with the Greens on social housing in order to secure support for its guillotine motion to gag debate in the Senate.
On Thursday afternoon, the Greens issued a statement claiming it had secured $500 million for the upgrades of 50,000 social homes across the country.
The Greens also said they have secured amendments to the Future Made in Australia Bills to ensure no funding will go towards coal, oil and gas projects, as well as an amendment to end the commercial financing of fossil fuel projects overseas.
The Albanese government has agreed to these changes in exchange for support of its guillotine motion that limits debate in the Senate as it attempts to push dozens of bills through in one day.
The Greens said it would now support 27 bills that are slated to pass the parliament on Thursday, including changes to the Reserve Bank structure, the Future Made in Australia program, the build-to-rent package and changes to superannuation.
“The Greens have secured $500m to electrify Australian homes starting with those most in need, cutting power bills and pollution at the same time,” Greens leader Adam Bandt said in a statement on Thursday.
“In negotiations on Future Made in Australia, the Greens have stopped billions of dollars of public money going into coal, oil and gas projects, here or overseas.
“Australia’s export finance agency has shamefully invested around $1.5 billion in coal, oil and gas projects overseas on their commercial account. That’s not possible any more.”
The Greens also said the government agreed to support amendments to override the Reserve Bank where there is disagreement.
Nine papers reported that Bandt met Albanese in the prime minister’s office on Thursday morning to negotiate the deal.
It is expected the Coalition and Labor will join forces on Thursday afternoon, on the last sitting day of the year, to pass the proposed ban on social media for children under 16 and a trio of immigration bills that have concerned experts.