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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
National
Paul Karp

Labor helps pass Coalition firearms bill after lower house ambush

Shadow Minister for Industrial Relations Tony Burke, Leader of the Opposition Anthony Albanese, Minister for Defence Peter Dutton and Prime Minister Scott Morrison during Question Time in the House of Representatives at Parliament House in Canberra
The manager of opposition business, Tony Burke, moved to suspend standing orders to bring on a debate on the firearms legislation. Photograph: Mick Tsikas/AAP

Labor has ambushed the government by suspending standing orders to debate the Coalition’s firearms legislation, which then passed the lower house without opposition.

The surprise tactic saw the government leader in the house, Peter Dutton, at first attempt to shut down the push before government members voted with Labor to debate their legislation in a bizarre scene in the House of Representatives on Thursday afternoon.

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