When little-known senator Ralph Babet jumped to his feet on Tuesday to raise concerns about the transparency of Scott Morrison’s government, there was a split- second of silence as his colleagues pondered his question.

The question was directed at Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong, who represents the Prime Minister in the Senate. 

The United Australia Party senator asked her: ‘Now minister… the former Morrison government, this mob over here, honoured an appallingly low rate of just 48.7 per cent of Senate order for production of document requests. How terrible. 

‘Does the minister believe that the former Morrison government was a transparent government? Because I don’t think they were.’

She rose to her feet as those behind her appeared perplexed. Some even grumbled about the failings of the previous government.

Then Liberal senator Michaelia Cash stated the obvious: Beware the supplementary questions. 

The Government is under increased pressure to be more transparent, amid further questions about the decision to block Qatar Airways from having more access to Australia. The decision is said to have cost Australian travellers up to 40% on their airfares. 

But Penny Wong has been in parliament for 21 years, and her guard was up.

‘I am going to anticipate your next question… I am someone who has been her for quite a long time. I have never seen as many OPDs [orders for the production of documents] used as indiscriminately as the Opposition… are using them,’ she said.

‘I don’t believe any fair minded person looking at Mr Morrison’s secret ministries or the Robodebt tragedy would think the standards of transparency were sufficient.

‘We remember what Mr Morrison was like and the lack of accountability… even to his own colleagues when he took their jobs from them.’

Mr Babet said she obviously knew where he was going this ‘not being your first rodeo’. 

‘Your government is at 20.4 per cent. Twice as secretive as Scott Morrison’s government. Why?’

Ms Wong argued there had been a significant increase in the amount of OPDs being filed, and the amount being approved, but has vowed to investigate Mr Babet’s question. 

Ms Wong was subjected to most of the scrutiny in the Senate on Tuesday given her role as the representative for the Prime Minister in the chamber.

She was also peppered with questions from Nationals Leader of the Senate Bridget McKenzie, who questioned the division within Labor about the Qatar Airways decision.

Ms McKenzie asked for clarity as to ‘what exactly the national interest grounds’ in blocking additional flights from Qatar were.

‘The minister considers a range of factors when determining whether an expansion of bilateral air rights is in our national interest,’ Ms Wong said.

She maintained there was nothing unusual about the government’s decision, and noted Qatar is welcome to increase flights into Adelaide, Avalon, Cairns, Canberra and the Gold Coast. 

Her answer was met with jeers from the Coalition, demanding to know just what those factors were.

Meanwhile, in the House of Representatives, Mr Albanese was facing intense questioning of his own. 

The Nationals MP for Cowper, Pat Conaghan asked if the PM had ‘a conversation of any kind with Mr Alan Joyce prior to the government’s decision concerning Qatar Airways’.

The PM, realising the breadth of the question, responded: ‘I can confirm that I’ve met Alan Joyce, which is basically what the question was.’

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton later asked if Mr Albanese had any conversations with Virgin Australia over the application.

Mr Albanese said: ‘Yes.’

Later, Mr Albanese faced another question, this time from LNP’s Bert van Manen, who asked if he had any conversations with Mr Joyce or senior execitves regarding the application before a decision was handed down.

Mr Albanese said: ‘No.’   

Labor was elected on a policy of transparency, and is now facing increasing calls from across the chamber to honour that commitment.

While the Coalition would like an inquiry into the Qatar decision, the Greens are first calling on the government to release documents from the time of the decision. 

Treasurer Scott Morrison has run out of an interview after being told there was a division in the parliament.

Mr Morrison was speaking to Paul Murray on Sky News on Thursday when he cut the interview short because people were ‘banging on the door’.

‘I’m sorry Paul we’re going to have to stop because people are banging on the door,’ the Treasurer said. 

‘What?’, Mr Morrison then asked someone off to the left of camera.

‘There’s a division mate I’ve got to go,’ he added before pulling out his ear piece and bolting out the door. 

On Thursday Labor took advantage of the government’s small numbers in parliament to pass three votes after a number of MPs left Canberra early to head home.

The opposition tried to bring on debate in a bid to call on Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull to establish a royal commission into banks. 

Labor then won three divisions in its attempt to expedite debate, taking advantage of the coalition’s slender majority. 

It’s the first time in 50 years that a majority government has lost a vote in the House of Representatives. 

Speaker Tony Smith was also forced to use his casting vote – believed to be for the first time – on a procedural motion to allow the debate to be considered.

However Mr Morrison later denounced the move and accused Labor leader Bill Shorten of taking political advantage.

‘He is using a stunt to promote his stunt,’ he told parliament. 

The opposition, in celebration mode over the victory, said it took just two sitting days for the government’s majority to collapse. 

‘Tonight’s been a wake-up call for the Turnbull government – the clock is ticking,’ manager of opposition business Tony Burke said.

On Friday morning Manager of Government Business Christopher Pyne said the loss of three votes was a ‘stuff-up’ and a ‘valuable lesson’ for the government.

‘There is no doubt what happened late yesterday afternoon was a stuff-up and those people who weren’t there obviously they learnt a valuable lesson, in fact everyone learnt a valuable lesson,’ Mr Pyne told the Nine Network on Friday.

Mr Pyne said of course he didn’t give MPs permission to leave early, but there wasn’t any point in pointing fingers.

‘It’s a salutary lesson for anyone who went home before the house rose yesterday afternoon,’ he said.

The cabinet minister refused to be drawn on what Mr Turnbull will say to his colleague Michael Keenan who was on a flight at the time of the votes.

‘People out there in the community are more worried about jobs, more worried about feeding themselves and their children than they are about three adjournment votes in the House of Representatives,’ he said.

Labor frontbencher Anthony Albanese described the events as a farce.

‘If you can’t run the parliament, you can’t run the country,’ he said.

‘We were in control during three years of minority government, each and every day of the parliament. 

‘This mob with a majority government couldn’t get through three days,’ Mr Albanese added. 

An influencer who describes herself as an ‘investigative journalist’ is facing furious backlash after posting a glowing review of her trip to budget fashion brand Shein’s factory in China – while ignoring the company’s long history of labor abuse allegations. 

Dani Carbonari, 30, who is better known as Dani DMC online, has been slammed for posting numerous videos praising Shein – after the company paid to have her, and a slew of other online stars, fly to Guangzhou to visit one of its main facilities.

Dani, who is originally from New York but now lives in LA, documented the vacation on her Instagram account, where she has gained more than 481,000 followers, and she defended the fast-fashion retailer against reports that claimed it doesn’t treat its workers fairly.

In one of her videos, Dani called the visit to the factory ‘one of the most life-changing trips of her life.’

‘Getting to see the whole process of Shein clothing [being made] from beginning to end with my own two eyes was so important for me,’ she said.

‘Shein is such a developed and complex company, it was so beautiful to see first hand.’ 

The video featured a montage of clips taken from inside the factory, which showed workers sewing clothes as Dani and the other influencers watched on.

‘I was really excited and impressed to see the working conditions,’ added the 30-year-old.

Dani explained that she ‘interviewed’ one of the employees who ‘works in the fabric cutting department’ – and that the worker was ‘surprised by the rumors’ of mistreatment.  

‘I was able to interview a woman who works in the fabric cutting department, and you know me, [I’m] an investigative journalist, so I asked her all of our questions,’ she continued.

‘She answered them honestly and authentically. She was very surprised by all the rumors that have been spread in the US.’

Dani concluded: ‘I think my biggest takeaway from this trip is to be an independent thinker – get the facts and see it with your own two eyes. 

‘There’s a narrative fed to us in the US and I’m one that always likes to be openminded and seek the truth, so I’m grateful for that about myself and I hope for the same for you guys.’

The video was one of several that Dani posted during the trip – which resulted in her producing six TikTok videos and three Instagram posts documenting her time in China with the brand. 

And while none of the videos appear to have been paid for by Shein, the trip is understood to have been entirely comped for all of the online stars who were invited. 

Other influencers who were also on the trip included Destene Sudduth, Aujené Butler, Fernanda Stephany Campuzano, Kenya Freeman, and Marina Saavedra. 

In a post of her own, Aujené – who has wracked up one million followers – similarly defended Shein.

‘As a public figure, I feel a responsibility to shed light on certain topics and bring awareness to a few of the many issues we have in the world,’ she captioned a video that she posted from her trip to China.

‘Child labor and fair wages are serious topics and were some of the q’s you guys were curious about and wanted me to ask. 

‘When asking a few of the workers and employees about these topics everyone we came across was content with their salary and the idea of child labor was something they looked at me crazy for. 

‘A lot of the people are just trying to make an honest living and said their kids and the children they know are just like our kids in the states. 

‘They aren’t trying to work in factories, they’re tryna be on Tiktok and IG. Seeing how advanced Guangzhou was first hand was pleasantly surprising.’

Shein, which began in 2008 as a ‘low-cost Chinese apparel merchant,’ has become a worldwide phenomenon, earning more than $100 billion in sales last year, according to Time magazine.

Back in October 2022, however, an explosive report emerged from Channel 4 in the UK which claimed that Shein workers got as little as four cents for each item they made, and that they were often forced to work 18-hour shifts, seven days a week, with only one day off per month. 

Swiss watchdog Public Eye also reported a month later that the brand was running ‘informal factories’ set up in residential buildings and didn’t provide employees with any contracts, which is against Chinese labor laws.

It’s also been said that some of Shein’s factories lacked important safety infrastructures – like fire exits – and that there were bars on its windows. 

In December 2022, Shein announced that it would be investing $15 million into improving standards in its factories.

At the time, the retailer said in a statement: ‘We know we have a responsibility to safeguard the welfare of workers in our supply chain. 

‘In light of the recent report in the news, we launched an investigation into the claim that two of our suppliers had unacceptable working conditions at their facilities.’

Many were furious over Dani’s – as well as the other influencer’s – positive posts about the trip.

And while she turned off the comments on her videos, tons of online users quickly flooded her other Instagram posts with angry messages.

‘Your dress looks just as cheap as your morals,’ one person wrote on a photo that Dani posted following the trip, in which she was modeling a Shein gown.

‘This is disgustingly irresponsible,’ said someone else. Another user added, ‘The worker that made that dress got paid four cents.’

‘The way you got paid more to wear that dress than the person that made it probably ever will,’ read a fourth comment.

A different person commented, ‘You should be ashamed.’

‘This hurts my heart. The things people do for money and clout, despite knowing others will suffer for it,’ someone else wrote. 

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton has unleashed on Labor’s Budget and claimed the Albanese government is making life harder for ‘middle Australia’. 

The Liberal leader handed down his budget reply to the House of Representatives on Thursday night, two days after Treasurer Jim Chalmers outlined the government’s economic plan for the nation.

The budget will be back in black for the first time in 15 years with a short-lived but slim surplus of about $4bn this financial year, achieving what the Coalition was unable to do in its nine years in power.

However, Mr Dutton argued in his speech that the Albanese government was fuelling inflation with its budget. 

He also said it would do little for ‘millions of middle Australians’ who ‘have every right to be disappointed with this government’.

‘As a result of the government’s policies, inflation will only stay higher for longer, continuing to grind down real incomes of households,’ he said.

The Opposition Leader blamed Labor for the rises in mortgage repayments, gas and electricity bills, supermarket and petrol station receipts, and insurance premiums.

‘International factors feed into inflation – like the war in Ukraine – but the main ingredient is the domestic factors,’ he told parliament.

He also took aim at Labor’s attempts to bring down power prices, saying it was ‘being deceptive with its energy policy’.

More than five million eligible households and one million small businesses will get relief applied directly to their power bills under a deal with the states outlined in the budget.

Eligible people who are on the pension, are senior card holders or a recipient of family tax benefits A and B will reap the benefits of the scheme.

Those efforts are not enough to bring down power prices, according to Mr Dutton, who slammed the government’s commitment to renewable energy and its moves on coal, gas and nuclear energy.

He renewed the Coalition’s push for nuclear energy.

‘Next generation, small modular nuclear technologies are safe, reliable, cost effective, can be

plugged into existing grids where we have turned-off coal, and emit zero emissions,’ he said.

‘In the 21st century, any sensible government must consider small modular nuclear as part of the energy mix.’

Mr Dutton said the Coalition supported select pieces of the budget, including the increased bulk-billing incentives for some Australians, expanding the parenting payments and investing in women’s safety.

The government’s budget increased incentives to be paid to GPs who bulk bill 11.6 million eligible Australians including children under 16, pensioners and other concession card holders.

The government decided to lift the age cut-off of the single parent welfare payment from eight to 14, in a move that’s been applauded by advocacy groups.

An additional $589.3m will also be invested over four years toward the government’s goal of ending violence against women ‘within a generation’.

That money is in addition to the $1.7bn in the October budget.

Also in the firing line were the government’s tax choices, criticising the decision to scrap the low-and-middle-income tax offset saying that ‘around 10 million Australians earning under $126,000 will now be up to $1500 worse off’.

He later told ABC TV’s 7.30 that many families would be worse off as a result of the ending of that measure and other pressures due to high inflation.

‘I do worry dreadfully at the moment for a lot of families. I think there’s a lot of people underestimating how much pain is out there,’ he said.

‘The government really didn’t have any response to them at all in the budget.’

He also said the Albanese government was being coy on its commitment to the already legislated stage 3 tax cuts for anyone earning over $45,000 due to come into effect next July.

‘Labor has been silent on its promise to keep stage 3 of the Coalition’s legislated tax plan in full,’ he said.

‘Our tax cuts will see 95 per cent of Australian workers keep at least 70 cents in every dollar they earn.

‘With about 400 days before the tax cuts take effect, there’s time enough for Labor to break another promise.’

Mr Dutton called for a lift in the income-free threshold so that individuals can take up part-time work without losing benefits, without committing to the government’s decision to lift the JobSeeker rate.

‘We’ll wait to see how the government responds to what we’ve constructively put forward tonight because the proposal that we’ve put on the table tonight says that somebody on an unemployment benefit could earn considerably more than $40 through ten hours of work a fortnight

Mr Dutton argued that employment decisions made in the budget ‘risks creating a generation of working poor Australians’.

More than 1.1 million of the most vulnerable Australians will benefit from a $40 per fortnight boost to their welfare payment from September if parliament agrees.

The raised base rate will be applied to people receiving JobSeeker, Youth Allowance, Parenting Payment (partnered), ABSTUDY, Disability Support Pension (Youth) and Special Benefit.

Mr Dutton said the predicted population increase from net overseas migration will increase by 1.5 million people over five years, which will cause the housing and rental crisis to worsen.

‘The government is now proposing to bring in almost 6000 people per week, which will make a bad situation worse,’ he said.