Politicians welcomed and farewelled as election looms

Unlike Maria Vamvakinou, Graham Perrett and Paul Fletcher - who are retiring of their own volition after years in parliament - independent MP Kylie Tink will be forced out after just one term in office due to a series of unfortunate events.

The member for North Sydney will not be able to recontest at the upcoming election, due by May 17, because her seat was abolished in the Australian Electoral Commission's September redistributions.

Flanked by electorates held by other teal independents, Ms Tink could not run in a neighbouring seat without risk of splitting the vote.

The independent and other retiring MPs will deliver their valedictory speeches in the parliament's House of Representatives on Monday after the Senate welcomed a new colleague.

South Australian Senator Leah Blyth was sworn in to replace Liberal stalwart Simon Birmingham, who announced his retirement at the end of 2024.

For the federal government, the rest of the week is about whittling down its to-do list before the election is called.

Production tax credits for renewable hydrogen and critical minerals are part of Labor's Future Made in Australia manufacturing changes that form a critical pillar of its campaign platform, and which have been pushed to the Senate.

Labor has been working to secure crossbencher backing, and manager of government business in the Senate Katy Gallagher said she was "optimistic" about its passage.

That was until the coalition attempted to throw a spanner in the works by moving a motion to bring on a different bill, thereby skipping debate on the tax credits legislation.

The motion was voted down, with Senator Gallagher calling the coalition's move "quite extraordinary".

"The opposition ... is now wasting time trying to rearrange the program because they don't want to be embarrassed by the position they've taken on the Future Made in Australia Production Tax Credits Bill," she told the Senate.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says Australia needs measures such as the tax credits to build an economy that can create wealth and opportunity, and encourage innovation.

"National prosperity depends on the engine room of private enterprise and the growth that private capital drives," Mr Albanese will tell the Australian Industry Group on Monday.

"This is a plan for economic sovereignty, as well as economic resilience."

But it is unclear if this policy or other campaign strategies will be enough to buoy the government's election chances.

Labor was dealt a blow at a state Victorian by-election on Saturday in the west Melbourne electorate of Werribee, once considered a stronghold.

The party suffered a significant swing and while its candidate is ahead by a few hundred votes, the count is ongoing.

Labor minister Tanya Plibersek said the government was paying attention to what happened in Werribee.

"One of the interesting things about this result is that there was a significant drop in the Labor vote and most of it didn't go to the Liberals - it's gone to the 'none of the above' category," she told Seven.

"Of course, that's something we need to work on."

The National Broadband Network (NBN) will also feature on the Senate agenda as the government pushes a bill to ensure it stays in public hands.

The Greens will move amendments requiring the NBN to be recognised as a universal service and cap the salaries of its executives after it was revealed former chief Stephen Rue was paid more than $3 million in 2023.