Thread: Keeping tabs on Australia"s newly elected Government

It was a good week for Australia. Not so much for climate deniers.

• Australia passes most significant climate law in a decade

Australia’s parliament has passed the country’s most significant emissions reduction legislation in more than a decade after the government won backing from Greens and independent MPs for a plan to deal with pollution from major industrial sites.

After weeks of closed-door negotiation, a deal was brokered between the Labor government and Greens, a minor party with 15 parliamentarians, that included legislating an explicit requirement that total emissions from major industrial facilities must come down, not just be offset.

Australia is the world’s third biggest fossil fuel exporter. The Greens argued the deal would stop some new gas and coal development proposals, but acknowledged it would not prevent further industry expansion.

The deal to pass changes to the policy known as the safeguard mechanism is considered key to prime minister Anthony Albanese’s commitment to cut national carbon dioxide emissions 43% by 2030 compared with 2005 levels.

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Labor won in the NSW election but fell short of majority after two seats are called for Liberal party.

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And Labor (Mary Doyle) won in a historic byelection.