Whoosh!

`I love deadlines,' said Douglas Adams, `I love the whooshing sound they make as they go by'. Much the same can be said for the rush of legislation that is rocketing past our pollies in this, the last two weeks of Federal Parliament for the year. As previously discussed, Barnaby Joyce has folded on industrial relations, making it now almost inevitable that the WorkChoices bill will pass through both houses by Christmas.

Meanwhile, Philip `The Ghost Who Legislates' Ruddock has successfully convinced party dissidents such as George Brandis that passing the Anti-Terrorism legislation with sedition clauses more or less intact, to be amended later, is a logical legal argument. Ironic, given Brandis was the one who made the notorious `Rodent' comment about his leader ... as the article I've linked at the Sydney Morning Herald indicates, some sections of the media are portraying this as a `cave in', Ruddock and co. have largely stood their ground.

And finally, there is the sleeping giant of current legislative matters, the Welfare to Work legislation. This legislation, and its enormous inequities, would be on all the front pages if the whole issue was not so starved of oxygen by the myriad other issues in the spotlight at the moment. Following the Senate Enquiry's adverse findings, WA backbencher Judi Moylan has spoken out against the legislation, saying "In my view, that part of the legislation which cuts income support and imposes disincentives and high effective or marginal rates of tax on some of the most vulnerable groups in our community does not deserve the support of this parliament."

Hear, hear. Perhaps, ironically enough - much the same as Barnaby's surprise ACCC floor cross - the fact that Welfare to Work has been forced into the background by other events will actually give important amendments a greater chance of success. Here's hoping.