Rushed Legislation And A Broken Coalition

A chaotic week in federal politics has left the opposition fractured and raised serious questions about how power is being exercised in Parliament. As the Albanese government rushed landmark hate-speech and extremism legislation through in under 24 hours, warnings about civil liberties, due process and executive overreach were brushed aside. The speed of the laws’ passage split the Coalition, with the Nationals walking away and Liberal leader Sussan Ley fighting to hold her leadership together.

On this episode of Fourth Estate, we unpack how the legislation passed so quickly, why it proved so destabilising for the opposition, and wh...