Recent days have offered outsiders a rare glimpse of hard-edged politics behind closed doors, while also displaying how Malcolm Turnbull plans to rework bellicose Abbott-era arguments into actual runs on the board.
Derryn Hinch revealed that being the pivotal number in restoring the Australian Building and Construction Commission was "probably more pressure than I've ever felt in my life".
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Under pressure: Hinch feeling the pinch
Independent Senator Derryn Hinch may have sealed the fate of the ABCC construction watchdog under pressure from the government and crossbenchers alike.
The "Human Headline" even quipped that he'd have preferred if the Coalition had a Senate majority so he wouldn't have to be "the man in the middle".
But if he was shopping for a new nickname, he might opt for "the Hinch-pin" because "Malcolm in the middle" is already taken.
Turnbull has surprisingly salvaged a final parliamentary sitting week - vindicating negotiation and offering his colleagues a fillip heading into the summer break.
Along with blocked budget measures, the two bills used to justify the early double dissolution election have now passed. Not so long ago, this outcome was a pipe dream despite both the Registered Organisations and the ABCC bills being articles of Coalition faith.
Now they are law, albeit with significant amendments. Coalition hardliners may grumble but what had their chest-beating delivered?
Turnbull, who intervened in recent days to bring Nick Xenophon's votes back into play, strategically conceded key features of Abbott's bills to get them through. This included giving ground on retrospectivity over union-employer agreements, and on the question of procurement of Australian products including steel.
![Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull during a press conference on the government's ABCC victory.](/web/20161202102548im_/http://www.theage.com.au/content/dam/images/g/t/0/q/x/q/image.related.articleLeadwide.620x349.gt0kzp.png/1480604303988.jpg)
Other improvements include shoring up the payments to long-dudded sub-contractors. Unfortunately, not all of the deal-making was so sound. One concession to the fringes for example, involved completely unrelated changes at the ABC to secure votes for the ABCC.
Restoring the construction sector watchdog was always more important politically than it was economically - the latter exaggerated for effect.
![Employment Minister Michaelia Cash is congratulated by Finance Minister Mathias Cormann for the passing of the ABCC bill ...](/web/20161202102548im_/http://www.theage.com.au/content/dam/images/g/t/0/l/i/q/image.related.articleLeadwide.620x349.gt0kzp.png/1480571636593.jpg)
Building firms have had a win, but the immediate beneficiary is Turnbull himself. The message to his divided colleagues is that he can take them forward where his predecessor offered nothing but indignation.
A last-minute setback on the backpacker tax will have sullied the Coalition mood somewhat, humiliating the Nationals and shredding any pretence of solidarity within Pauline Hanson's One Nation party.
But whatever the resolution of that matter, Turnbull has demonstrated that his approach of jaw-jaw rather than war-war is the only way through a hostile Senate.
It is a stronger position than seemed possible just weeks ago.
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