The Albanese government has threatened to strip Coalition MPs of key positions on parliamentary committees in retaliation against its political opponents for pressuring Labor to release a long-awaited review into Canberra’s “jobs for mates” culture.

The move sparked accusations from the Coalition that the government’s behaviour was more similar to that of an authoritarian regime than a democratic administration, while Labor ministers claimed the senators pushing for the report’s release were upending tradition.

Finance Minister Katy Gallagher has refused to bow to a demand from David Pocock for the immediate release of the Briggs report. Credit: Alex Ellinghausen

The Coalition, Greens and crossbench united in a Senate vote on Wednesday afternoon to allow themselves to ask five extra

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