Senate and House of Representatives were due to rise on Thursday evening, but may continue sitting until six listed bills are voted on

This article is more than 5 years old

This article is more than 5 years old

The Abbott government is seeking to extend the year’s final parliamentary sitting until the Senate deals with controversial laws on asylum seekers and other bills.



The House of Representatives and the Senate were due to rise on Thursday evening for the summer break, bringing to a close a tumultuous parliamentary fortnight.

But the manager of government business in the Senate, Mitch Fifield, has given notice of a motion to extend the sitting hours on Thursday and continue sitting for as many days as needed to deal with six listed bills.

If the motion wins support from a majority of senators, the Senate would sit from 9am to 11pm on the Friday and each day after that.

The migration and maritime powers legislation amendment (resolving the asylum legacy caseload) bill is one of two asylum seeker bills the government wants to be resolved before the summer break.

The legislation would reintroduce temporary protection visas and bring in a new form of “safe haven” visas, but the Coalition has struggled to secure adequate crossbench support and remains in negotiations.

The other bills the government argues cannot wait until February are the: