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Independent MP Andrew Wilkie is channelling his inner Jacqui Lambie in the visa cancellation bill debate, shouting that he’s had a “gutful” of both major parties.

Wilkie noted the government already has the power to cancel visas, describing the bill as a “blatant attempt by the government to pander to racism and xenophobia”.

Wilkie said it was “completely and utterly unprincipled” to vote for the bill, attacking Labor as “weaklings in the opposition who will go along for the ride”.

Greens leader, Adam Bandt, also blasted Labor for not voting against the bill in the House.

Liberal Melissa McIntosh obviously didn’t get the memo that Labor is supporting it, and has brought an old speech in about the “Labor-Greens alliance” voting against deporting “foreign criminals”.

Parliamentary debate has returned to the strengthening character test bill, which Labor has indicated it will not oppose in the lower house.

Labor’s assistant shadow immigration minister, Andrew Giles, said:

This need not be another example of Morrison government seeking to divide Australians. We have shared concerns on domestic violence … if we can speak as one, this is important. This bill fails to recognise the complex nature of family violence … and may increase reluctance of reporting family violence offences, if their visa can be cancelled as a consequence.

Giles suggested the immigration minister, Alex Hawke, “doesn’t look like he’s serious when it comes to these issues”.

Giles revealed Labor will move amendments in the Senate to deal with the bill’s retrospectivity and soften its impact on New Zealand. He insisted Labor’s position shouldn’t be “misrepresented” – it remains willing to improve the bill.

Liberal MP Julian Simmonds says the bill is needed because “activist judges” are taking into account the fact someone should be deported when sentencing offenders.

He said Labor had told “a bit of a fib” by pretending to support the bill when it plans on amending it in the Senate.

New South Wales police are investigating a fatal shark attack that occurred at a beach in Sydney’s east on Wednesday afternoon.

Officers were called to Buchan Point in Malabar about 4.35pm on Wednesday following reports a swimmer had been attacked by a shark.

Marine officers who arrived at the scene later “located human remains in the water”, a police statement said.

Little Bay Beach has been closed as officers continue to search the area. Police are liaising with the Department of Primary Industry to investigate the death of the swimmer with a report to be prepared by the coroner.

Earlier on Wednesday, a tagged bull shark was detected in Bondi.

Labor has called on the Morrison government to explain whether a pilot program for regional conservation planning is an attempt to bypass the parliament and reduce the government’s role in environmental decisions.

It follows this Guardian Australia story today, which revealed the government is considering whether a little-known section of national environmental laws could be used to to allow developments in some parts of the country to proceed without the need for federal approval.

Under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act, the environment minister may create a regional plan, and a section of the Act – known as 37A – allows the minister to declare certain developments are exempt from the need to gain federal approval if covered by a regional plan.

Documents released under freedom of information laws to Guardian Australia reveal a key objective of a pilot regional plan announced in last year’s budget is to establish that actions taken in accordance with a section 37A declaration – such as mining or property development or infrastructure construction – would not require separate federal environmental approval.

The move could give the government an alternative pathway for reducing its role in environmental decision-making while legislation to hand powers to the states and territories remains blocked in the senate.

Labor’s environment spokesperson, Terri Butler, says the environment minister, Sussan Ley, should explain whether the pilot is a genuine program or an attempted shortcut.

The Morrison-Joyce government has had nearly a decade to come up with environmental reform, but rather than coming to the table with a serious response to the Samuel review [of national environmental laws], there are reports the government is resorting to shortcuts.

The Greens environment spokesperson, Sarah Hanson-Young, accused the government of looking for a loophole because its legislation had stalled in the senate.

Everyday Australians will be disgusted to discover that rather than protecting our environment, the Liberal National party is spending public money finding sneaky ways so big corporations can destroy our native bushland and clear more koala habitat without question.

Ley’s spokesperson has said the $2.7m announced in the budget for a pilot regional plan is to “improve environmental protection, address the challenge of cumulative impacts and build greater certainty for all parties”.

The religious discrimination bill was dropped after five Liberal moderates crossed the floor on LGBTQ+ student protects, but the recriminations have continued.

The Australian Christian Lobby national director, Wendy Francis, told Guardian Australia:

Labor and the moderate Liberals are the reason it didn’t go through, but it should’ve come on much earlier … it should’ve been a bipartisan discussion the whole time, then it wouldn’t have got to the point of untenable amendments being made.

The ACL is opposed to the amendment that passed because it thinks removing section 38(3) from the Sex Discrimination Act would prevent schools setting codes of conduct about their religious beliefs of gender and sexuality.

But Francis also has criticisms of the Morrison government’s handling:

It was not a top priority. Covid interrupted this term of parliament, but it didn’t stop other bills. If you have a will, there is a way …

At the beginning I didn’t see it as a political manoeuvre. But by now – it has to be. It’s inevitable that it will be. The biggest problem is that it was out of time. If you introduce and vote on it at the 11th hour with an election weeks or months away – of course it’s political.

Guardian Australia understands Christian Schools Australia has been lobbying for a last-ditch bid to revive the bill in budget week – but the government insists it’s not happening.

CSA’s director of public policy, Mark Spencer, said it was still “theoretically possible” and he is “hoping for a miracle”.

Spencer said:

We’re hopeful it’s not game over. It would be and incredible shame if we drop it now when we came so close. The notion that Equality Australia described it as a win – I’m not sure it’s a win for anyone.

It’s not a win for people of faith, with no religious discrimination bill passed. And not for kids in faith-based schools after public debate saying they’re liable to be expelled, with all the fear that creates. There’s no way to resolve that without a religious discrimination bill.