Who is Jess Wilson and should the Victorian Labor government be worried?

The Coalition has proposed to assist the Labor government in expediting new nature laws, contingent upon the reduction of environmental protections. This offer comes as Labor seeks to amend the Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act during its final sitting week. Environmental lawyers have expressed concerns about further weakening existing laws at the request of industry stakeholders.

Crossbench politicians and gambling harm advocates have criticized the Albanese government for potentially not implementing a total ban on gambling advertisements. This comes after reports suggested that the government may hesitate to enforce significant restrictions on both television and online promotions, citing the recent social media ban for under-16s as a factor.

Environment Minister Murray Watt indicates that negotiations are ongoing between the Coalition and Labor regarding new nature laws. Senior Liberal MPs express optimism about reaching a compromise that would allow for a diluted version of the legislation to pass in the final parliamentary sitting week of the year. The proposed deal may involve significant concessions, including changes to provisions aimed at blocking environmentally harmful projects.